the gala...2 go on, admit it, you're excited about gala! all right, maybe you think each gala...

The Gala Pan Am Issue!

Saturday

August 1

9 p.m., $10

Gala means …

Great Music, and this year

Great Opportunities to Win

medals and stuff

Bingo, Raffle (tickets attached), table

decorating, bike riding, masquerading,

music trivia, etc.

Full Gala Schedule – 0

Garry Sault (left), the Mississauga elder who performed the Three

Fires firelighting ceremony, and Leida Englar making an offering.

Gala Dance

Volume 101, Issue 3 July/August 2015

Our little Island had a surprising

number of ties to the Pan Am Games.

The torch even did a short tour!

At right, Leida Englar and other Islanders

participate in the Three Fires ceremony.

The mysterious COW at Gibraltar may be

the Games’ most lasting Island legacy.

Daina Green didn’t get a medal, but likely

deserves one.

And, the McLaughlin’s had TWO family

members participating!

Details on Page 3

Pho

to c

red

it:

Davi

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2

Go on, admit it, you're excited about Gala!

All right, maybe you think each Gala is like the others, but

Lo and behold, your exec has some suprizes in store

All to add to the weekend we call a day, the celebration of

community that is uniquely ours.

Yes, it's almost that time again! Elsewhere in this issue you

will find more details about what's in store for Gala Day,

and we at WIA headquarters (aka the picnic table on the

bowling green) are looking forward to it as much as you

are. Shadowland is already well into their preparations

(yay, they are bring life to the Little Clubhouse!), the

Bingo prizes are piling up, volunteers are being wooed, and

the bands are booked

There's so much to celebrate on the island this summer -

including Rose Wilson's 99th birthday!! - and Gala is the

place to do it. Of course we have some long-standing and

well-loved traditions (wouldn’t be Gala without Jay

Bascom calling out “Clickety Click") and we also have

some additions and tweaks.

The Adult Games are back with a vengeance. Will you

survive the Backwards Bike? We think not, but prove us

wrong! The Dinner in the Park is guaranteed to be eventful,

very tasty, and we hope, more streamlined.

We have a new band for Gala that promises to rock the

dance. The crafts tables will be moving to a slightly new

location to allow easier access. The Beer Garden remains

the Beer Garden, but who isn’t looking forward to Bover's

Monday matinee at the Beer Garden and a chance to meet

the baby Bover boys? Just try to elbow me out of the way!

See you at Gala! Can't wait.

- Alison Gzowski

2015 WIA Executive

President Alison Gzowski

Past-President Kathleen McDonnell

Vice-President Jacquey Malcolm

Secretary Jay Bascom

Treasurer Martin Mittelstaedt

Membership chairs Alison Gzowski

Yvonna Nauman

Events chair Mark Howard

Clubhouse chair Sean Bonar

Tennis chairs Mike French

Yolanda Snels

Lawn bowling chair Colin Brodie

WIA Weekly Team Liz Amer

Samantha Mills

Wendy Peters

The Ward's Island Tennis Club is having a great year. The courts are in

wonderful condition and the weather has finally warmed up.

Recently, our club pro, Marc Irman, hosted a Round Robin for our Beginner

and Intermediate level members. Twelve people participated in the event with

Yolanda Snels (above) coming away as the winner! The group had a lot of fun

and ended up at the Island Café to celebrate.

The club's Mixed Doubles Tournament was held July 11 with Wayne Lilley

and Mary Partridge taking top honours.

Wayne Lilley and Bob Tanner paired up to take the Men's Doubles

championship held on July 18.

Upcoming events:

August 1 - Round Robin: Open to members and guests.

August 15 - Women's Doubles Tournament.

August 30 - Round Robin vs. Hespeler Tennis Club: Openings available.

President’s Message

3

The McLaughlin family has a long history in sailing,

but it was a first time record to have both father Terry

and son Evert representing Canada at the 2015 Pan Am

Games! Evert competed in a Snipe, while Terry

McLaughlin won silver captaining a J/24.

In 1984, Terry won an Olympic silver medal in sailing

for Canada. Terry’s father, Evert’s grandfather,

competed in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and brother

Frank is an Olympic bronze medalist. Beyond the Pan

Ams, Evert, who placed fifth in the Pan Am Snipe

class, is campaigning and training in hopes of

qualifying for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics sailing

solo in a Laser.

The McLaughlins sail out of Royal Canadian

Yacht Club, which hosted the Pan Am sailing fleet

this year.

About a dozen Islanders made it to the 7 a.m. Three Fires

ceremony on Olympic Island to mark the opening of the

Pan Am/Parapan Am Games on July 10.

The Mississaugas of The New Credit are the host First

Nation for the games. Their theme for the games…

“Embrace the Spirit” - embrace the spirit of healthy

competition, and embrace the spirit of kinship with each

other and our ties to the earth.

After the fire was lit, everyone was invited to give thanks,

or make a prayer, while adding a pinch of tobacco, sage,

sweetgrass and cedar to the fire. Fire Keepers will tend

fires at three locations for the duration of the games.

This “Computer-on-Wheels” parked beside the Gibraltor

Washroom is helping ensure the health of Pan Am athletes

during the Games. According to the Ontario Ministry of the

Environment and Climate Change (yes, it is called that

now!), the station monitors and reports Air Quality Health

Index (AQHI) values for the Games.

The COW will stick around after Pan Am in its other role

as one of four research stations providing data for a three

year Toronto roadside air quality study which started in

July 2014. Known as the Hanlan’s Point station, it provides

the “urban background” pollution readings for the study.

These baseline values will be compared with readings from

the three city-side stations.

Reports on Toronto Island air quality are available at

Environment Canada’s Toronto Island link

http://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/onaq-305_e.html.

Daina Green has new insight into

all that goes into planning the Pan

Am Games. She has been kept

busy as an official Spanish

interpreter for some of the many

behind the scenes meetings that

are part of the Games.

Pan Am-ania on

the Island

Hablas español?

This is a COW?

Three Fires

Photo credit: J. Fraser

Photo credit: Sail Canada

http://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/onaq-305_e.html

4

If you are strong enough to hold a beer, you are the volunteer we need to help put out tables before Dinner in the Park. If you are holding a beer right now, or are thinking of doing so in the next 48 hours, please contact: Carol Tait at [email protected] or (416) 203-0796, to sign up!!!

Volunteers needed for 4:30 p.m. Saturday

We Want U (to volunteer)

Prize for Best Decorated Table

Sensational taste is the norm for the Dinner in the

Park. Special this year will be the visual

accompaniment to Zorah’s skills at the roaster. We

are holding a competition for the BEST

DECORATED TABLE! The prize for Best

Decorated Table is a bottle of wine selected by

WSET-certified Island wine taster/teacher

extraordinare Nupur Gogia, who is even now

preparing for her role as a wine judge at the Royal

Winter Fair this fall. I cannot imagine what wine she

will select for this auspicious Dinner in the Park, but

it won’t be plonk!

- Jacquey Malcolm

This year’s Gala Dinner in the Park is an event not to be missed! There will be a giant pig roasting over the Island Cafe’s very own beast-roaster; there will be chickens nestling by its side! And in a special corner, far away from the madding crowd, there will be gentle veggies, enticing the tender hearted.

When: SATURDAY, 6 p.m. (Arrive 5:30 to set your prize-winning table!) Where: At the WIA (which will supply tables, chairs, serviettes, buns, and of

course the aforementioned succulent pig, etc., which the Cafe is generously preparing for this feast.)

WHAT TO BRING:

1. Your Potluck contribution. If you live in an:

ODD numbered house: DESSERT EVEN numbered house on Wards: SALAD EVEN numbered house on Algonquin: SIDE DISH 2. This is a BYOPCKFS&B event! (Bring your own plates, cups, knives, forks, spoons and beverages!) 3. Please bring serving utensils for your potluck contribution, and LABEL EVERYTHING!!! 4. If you are inviting guests, please provide a potluck dish for them to bring, so we don’t run out of food (horrors!). 5. A card with a list of ingredients for your masterpiece would be appreciated by those with vegetarian requirements or food allergies. Y

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Dinner in the Park

5

In addition to other great games, this Gala will feature not one, but TWO

bike events in the Adult Games! Islanders love bikes, right?

Remember the Slowest Bike Race? Paul Horne won so many times that

we finally gave up holding it. But, it was such a great race! And now it’s

back! The “winner” of this challenging race will receive The Paul Horne

Trophy for the Slowest Bike Rider. The

second-last finisher will receive the Anyone-

But-Paul Horne Trophy.

Manuel Cappel has created his own take on the

Backwards-Brain Bicycle. It is so simple to

ride that maybe only an innocent who’s never

ridden a conventional bike can do it? But, come

and try anyway! See if you can ride this brain-

squeezing bicycle!! Anyone who can ride it for

10 seconds will receive a medal, compliments of the WIA! (No feet on

the ground for 10 seconds. Sounds easy? Ha!)

And much more. For example, Gala’s first fasted fitted-sheet folding

frenzy. That isn’t just a tongue twister, but a contest that will not only

challenge your dexterity, but could make you a household hero.

- Jacquey Malcolm

Adult Games – Sunday, 2:15 p.m. Gala

Music

Some great artists lined up to rock our

2015 Gala!

Our headliners Saturday night are good

ol’ cityside boys, The Devin Cuddy

Band. They’re going to bring the

grooves across the bay to get us up

doing our thing. This band is an up and

comer on the rock and roll scene not

just in Toronto but across the county.

Devin is the son of Jim Cuddy and

touring piano player for Blue Rodeo.

Devin and his band members have such

a great style of rock ‘n’ roll, I know you

will love them.

Beer Garden bands, 2-5 p.m.:

SATURDAY - The Vaudevillians have

a timeless ragtime vibe, perfect for a

sunny Saturday afternoon at the Beer

Garden. I know you will love them so

much you’ll want them back next year.

SUNDAY - our friends the Old Time

Ragtime Band. These fellas have been

playing Sunday Beer Garden at Gala for

a long time. How long you ask? The

first to guess it right at the beer garden

gets a free beer! But we’re all winners,

as we just love hearing them play

MONDAY - none other than Tim

Bovaconti. Bover always hits the right

Island note with his selection of tunes.

I am so excited to see all of you out this

year and I know it is going to be a great

Gala celebration.

See you in the Beer Garden!

- Mark Howard, Entertainment Chair

This year’s Gala Raffle prizes reflect the Island’s special needs

and talents, from bike carts to house cleaning and lots of arty

stuff! There are tickets in this issue and more available for sale all

weekend in the Beer Garden. Buy lots of them to increase your

chance of winning, or risk a lifetime of regret!

Adult Prizes

FIRST PRIZE: A Cappel Shopping-Cart Cart

SECOND PRIZE: Outdoor cooking fire pit

THIRD PRIZE: A full day of house cleaning!

Kid Prizes

FIRST PRIZE: Glider (bike)

SECOND PRIZE: 2 music lessons with

Thomas Rutherford

THIRD PRIZE: Artist's pack of supplies

Raffle Draw – Monday, 5 p.m.

6

Masquerade

Sunday, 3 p.m.

Who should be

Canada’s next

P.M.?

This year’s Masquerade theme is an obvious one, given the question

soon to be on every voter’s mind.

Dress up as the person you want to have as the next Prime Minister. It

doesn’t have to be anyone on the ballot. It could be your great-aunt?

Bart Simpson? Kim Campbell? It could be Rob Ford (oh, how the eyes

sparkle at the thought of the costume for that one)!

It could be the best damned hair that Justin Trudeau could produce

(I’ve seen the ad; I know he’s got nice hair). What about your favourite

grade three teacher? She’d know how to rule this country!

Who should be Canada’s next Prime Minister?

This event will be judged by three fine, upstanding, prominent citizens

who have sworn to be unswayed by their own political views.

Summer is for… Proposals?

White Elephant Sale

Buyers: 11 a.m., Monday - Come buy

yourself an elephant or two!

Sellers: Set out your wares 9-11 a.m.

(Tables will be set up)

Limit of one table per vendor

Sharing a table is okay

Take away what you don’t sell

Fee: $20 or 1% of sales, whichever is less

Fees go to the WIA Building Improvement Fund

A Gala reprieve for the Little Clubhouse.

Summer arrived late, the mosquitoes

have been brutal, and now all anyone is

thinking about is Gala. With that in

mind, we are extending the Little

Clubhouse proposals deadline until

August 10.

That gives Shadowland enough time,

after using the building for Gala-prep, to

return all our spiders and cobwebs, and

beer cans and butts.

And, it also allows time for those of you

who have been thinking, dreaming,

talking about your great ideas to put

them on paper (virtual or not) and get

them to:

[email protected], 28 Bayview

Ave., aka Sunset Ho.

Gala Arts & Crafts Sale - Monday

Aug.3rd, beside the Island Cafe . Come and see my sterling silver Gibraltar Point lighthouse pendants and key chains. I donated one as a Gala Raffle Prize. Don't forget to buy your raffle tickets! See you there. – Laura Beard

Rectory Gallery

Laura Shepard Opening

August 5, 7-9 p.m.

mailto:[email protected]

Milestones

Myfanwy Cappel graduated from The Linden School and will be attending McGill University for Nursing in September.

Merle Harley graduated with a BFA from Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University with a Major in Fine Arts and Minors in Art History, and Print, Paper, Book.

Bill freeMan just published his 19th book, The New Urban Agenda: The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

lilly flawn is heading to Armenia, where she will attend United World College Dilijan for a two-year international baccalaureate program that emphasizes global relations and cultural understanding.

alexandra HiCkox has been accepted to attend York University’s Master of Fine Arts program in Film and Video Studies this fall.

Blue Bigwood-Mallin recently played The Man in Man Walks Into A Bar. This Fringe Festival play received the Patron’s Pick and a Best of Fringe designation.

CHriS wilSon, ukelele teacher, Shadowland Musical Director and all-round Island friend, received his PHD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Toronto.

gillie Meyer and Tal Ifrah-Zaks have a beautiful baby boy, Ari Paz Zaks, born July 12, 2015. He loved his first ferry boat ride two days later.

got something to celebrate? Share it with us so we can

share it with the community!email a photo and details to

wendy peters at [email protected]

8

TALENT

NIGHT

2015

On Saturday, June 13th Islanders were

treated once again to the unique

flowering of Island creativity that is

known as Talent Night. Dozens of

Islanders (and a few mainlanders) took

to the WIA stage in the biennial

celebration of music, song, puppetry

and comedy.

The house was packed and those in the

audience were treated to 21 acts in

total. Musical acts included ukulele

duets, solo piano, rock bands, hand

drumming, guitar duets, a cappella

singing, jug band, ensemble singing

and of course, the one and only Blonde

Bombshells (who are in a category of

their own).

The young island hula hoopers opened

the show. Skits targeted the woes of

winter transportation and the public

address announcements on the ferries.

Tag team MC’s Joanna Kidd and

Lorraine Pelletier kept the audience

entertained and the backstage crew

ensured that everything moved

smoothly. You might even think that it

was all planned.

Talent Night 2015 could not have

happened without the following:

Barb Roerick for inspiration,

guidance and registering the

performers;

Bruce Cameron and his team of

tech wizards, Thomas Rutherford,

Andrew Hild and Doug

Hamburgh, for providing audio

and lighting;

Stage manager Samantha Mills,

assisted by John Penner, who

handled things backstage;

Curtain people Gove Flawn, Lee

Rosensweet and Jacob Heisey;

Jeff Kearns for clownish reasons;

Bar volunteers Jamie Roerick and

Rescha Barker;

Leida and Jerry Englar for the

first-ever Talent Night banner; and

The WIA executive for handling

setup, door and bar.

A final shout out to all the performers.

We couldn’t have done it without you.

Already looking forward to 2017!

- Joanna Kidd

Circle the date! The weekend of September 19 - 20 marks the 35th annual Terry Fox Run and the Island’s 5th annual Terry Fox Weekend. Join us to fundraise for a cure for cancer. The Terry Fox Run itself is Sunday, September 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. at the WIA. Weekend events include:

Terry Fox Run Baseball Tournament Tennis Soccer Kid’s Baseball Swim Lawnbowling

If you are interested in creating an event or have questions, contact: [email protected]

Terry Fox Weekend

Rebecca

Heisey

sang and

played

ukulele.

The late

night crowd

heard a few

choice words

from The

Beaver.

Alice

Norton

dressed

for one

of her

many

roles.

The “Winter” Choir.

David S. Armour

April 23, 1934 - June 26, 2015

Some will remember Dave Armour

who lived at 122 Lakeshore Avenue

until 1968. That was a traumatic

year when the city completed its

expropriation of island homes along

the Lakeshore. David died on June

26 after a short illness. He travelled

widely during his career as a Trade

Commissioner.

- Bob Buck

Ed. Note: Mr. Armour’s obituary in

the G&M reports that, “At age five

he packed up his basket of toys and

ran away from home, taking the

Island Ferry to Toronto.”

Sept.

19-20

mailto:[email protected]

9

Birdwatchers and conservationists

were excited this spring when a Piping

Plover laid a clutch of eggs on

Hanlan’s beach. Piping Plovers last

nested on the Island in 1934.

For a nest, the male uses his wing to

scoop out a simple dip in the sand. The

four eggs are laid one every other day

and incubated for 4 weeks. The pair

take turns sitting on the eggs and

foraging along the beach. They are

feisty, chasing off larger birds such as

Killdeers (also a kind of plover) by

running at them if they come too close.

Unfortunately, just before the expected

date of hatching, waves from a storm

washed the nest out and broke the

eggs.

Piping Plovers are an endangered

species protected under the federal

Species at Risk Act and the provincial

Endangered Species Act. Historically,

there were 24 locations in Ontario

where Piping Plovers nested. Then, for

30 years, the Great Lakes population

only existed in low numbers in

Michigan. However, thanks to U.S.

and Canadian Piping Plover recovery

plans, the species is making a

comeback.

Protection at Hanlans this year

included the efforts of government

biologists who fenced off the nest area

and installed signage and a large cage

that the plovers could easily move in

and out of, but that excluded gulls,

raccoons, coyotes and other predators.

Volunteers came from all over the

Toronto area to monitor the nest,

observe behaviour, and caution people

to stay away and keep their dogs

on a leash. (Piping Plovers don't use

the groomed part of the beach

favoured by humans, as they prefer the

cover offered by the stretch of beach

with pebbles, driftwood and small

plants.)

The leg bands on the male at Hanlans

showed that he was hatched on Lake

Michigan in 2014. The female was

unbanded, but bands on a third bird

that hung around the area showed he

was hatched on Wasaga Beach last

year. All concerned are hoping the

birds will return to Hanlans to try

again next year and that sometime in

the future there will again be Piping

Plovers hatched in Toronto.

- Jenny Bull

(Editor’s Note: Jenny says the bird’s

call is more of a peep than a piping.

What do you think?

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pip

ing_Plover/sounds )

Piping Plovers: Return to Hanlan’s Point After 80 Years

Volunteers have

more fun!!!

Why not be

one?

Photo credit: Wildlife Preservation Canada

Photo credit: Jenny Bull

Animal

Ta(i)les

One of our nameless neighbours

had a mouse problem. So they

got a young cat to catch mice.

She did that quite well, but

proudly brought them into the

house to demonstrate her

prowess. So, a few mice, a

scurry, became a crowd, a circus,

and the cat was let go.

- A Nonny Mouse

Got your goose?

Warren Hoselton reports that

the annual round up of Canada

Geese corralled 700 this

summer.

They were shipped to a more

goose-deprived southern

Ontario town.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Piping_Plover/sounds

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Piping_Plover/sounds

10

FRIDAY, July 31

8:45 p.m. Fire Parade and Bonfire

SATURDAY, August 1

9:45 a.m. Tennis Round Robin

Noon - 6 p.m. Beer Garden

2 - 5 p.m. MUSIC: The Vaudevillians

5:30 p.m. Table decorating for Dinner in the Park

6 - 8 p.m. Dinner in the Park

9 p.m. - 1 a.m. DANCE: Devin Cuddy Band

SUNDAY, August 2

11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Soccer


1:30 - 2:15 p.m. Kids Games

2:15 - 3 p.m. Adults Games

2 - 5 p.m. MUSIC: Dixieland Band

3 - 4 p.m. Masquerade: “Our next Prime Minister?”

8 - 11 p.m. Bingo!

MONDAY, August 3

11 a.m. - 1 p.m. White Elephant Sale

Noon - 4 p.m. Arts and Crafts Sale


2 - 4 p.m. Kids Midway

2 - 5 p.m. MUSIC: Tim Bovaconti

5 p.m. Raffle Draw

8 - 11 p.m. Bingo!

Gala Schedule 2015

Lantern Workshops

Tuesday, July 28, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, July 30, 7-9 p.m.

Fire Parade

FRIDAY, 8:30 p.m.

Gather at the WIA

Parade Workshop Mon. - Fri., 10 a.m. onwards WIA Little Clubhouse

A’Rhythmics Rehearsal

Wednesday, July 29, 7 p.m.

1st Prize Cappel Shopping-Cart Cart

2nd Prize Outdoor cooking fire pit

3rd Prize A full day of house cleaning!































WIA Gala Day DrawMonday August 3, 20155 p.m. WIA Clubhouse






















HELP US OUT AND WIN GREAT PRIZES!The Gala Day Draw is coming up, and we need your help!Every household has a sheet of 11 tickets, compliments of theWard’s Island Weekly. Please sell as many as you can, and drop off the proceeds and unsold tickets to the draw table on Gala Day. If you need more tickets (yea!) you can buy them on Gala weekend.

WIA Gala Day K I D S DrawMonday August 3, 2015 5 p.m. WIA Clubhouse

1st Prize Glider (bike) 2nd Prize 2 music lessons with Thomas Rutherford3rd Prize Artist’s pack


Name:

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50 ¢ /ticket or $5/book of 11 tickets




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HELP US OUT AND WIN GREAT PRIZES!The Kids’ Gala Day Draw is coming up, and we need your help!Every household has a sheet of 11 tickets, compliments of theWard’s Island Weekly. Please sell as many as you can, and drop off the proceeds and unsold tickets to the draw table on Gala Day. If you need more tickets (yay!) you can buy them on Gala weekend.

the gala...2 go on, admit it, you're excited about gala! all right, maybe you think each gala...

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